Bluffers Guide

South of Bologna and near Pianoro, Monte Formiche, the mountain of the ants, has the ancient church of Santa Maria di Zena at its peak. Every September 8th, on this day dedicated to the virgin Mary, hundreds of thousands of flying ants swarm into the area to reproduce. After mating, the exhausted male ants fly off to die on the walls of the church. The dead males are then collected, blessed and distributed to the congregation for use in cures of rheumatism, toothaches and headaches - what a hangover cure!

In 1325 Modena's troops defeated Bologna's army at Zappolino, marched into Bologna and, amongst other things, carried off a wooden bucket belonging to the Bologna soldiers as a victory trophy. The bucket was then for centuries kept as a trophy under guard in the Ghirlandina Tower. Some years ago a group of Bolognese students kidnapped the bucket and demanded a ransom from the city for its return. The Commune agreed to the students' demands and they received their booty - some hams and cheese. The bucket is now kept in the more secure town hall.

Entering Verdi's house, Villa Verdi, in Sant Agata is like travelling back 150 years, as if Verdi had left and the house had been embalmed. Verdi bequeathed the house to his adopted daughter, Philomena and her husband on condition that the villa was preserved as it was. Verdi's bedroom still contains the four-poster bed, in which his infamous mistress, Strepponi, died in 1897, and many of the couple's paintings, furniture, knick-knacks, his piano, her opera costumes, trunks, and other artefacts.

The people of Modena call the inhabitants of Reggio Emilia "squareheads", while the people of Reggio Emilia say that the Modenese have round heads because 'the mice ate the corners.'

Ask for Spaghetti Bolognese in Bologna, and you will get a bemused smile. The famous Bolognese ragu tomato and meat sauce generally is served with tagliatelle.